Something Like Sound

Manchester Orchestra: Not quite an orchestra, definitely not from Manchester, UK. However that didn’t stop this Atlanta based group from selling out the Marquis in LoDo last night. Touring in support of their recent release Mean Everything To Nothing, Manchester Orchestra has begun to get big, and was recently featured on David Letterman.

First up was Winston Audio, an Atlanta band with a hard-hitting sound and remarkable consistency. They pounded through song after song, and at times I was reminded of bands such as Alkaline Trio or Murder By Death, although the Winston Audio guys definitely had a slightly more upbeat approach than those groups. Following Winston Audio was Audrye Sessions, a band that didn’t even introduce themselves until someone yelled asking their name at the end of their set. Their sound could best be described as a mix of Annuals meets Radiohead, with tons of instrumentation and reverb-drenched falsetto vocals. I found their set to be one of the highlights of the night, as they used dramatic colored lights to accompany their unique sound.

Following Audrye Sessions was a band called Fun. Singer Nate Ruess told concertgoers that this was their first tour, which came as a bit of a surprise since they had such a tight dynamic. The story of Fun goes something like this: Nate was in The Format, Andrew was in Anathallo, and Jack was in Steel Train. The resulting combination sounded like the offspring of the three groups.

Finally it was time for the main event: Manchester Orchestra. As lead singer Andy Hull took the stage donning a white baseball cap, the group proceeded to play through several songs before taking a moment to introduce themselves. Sticking mostly to material from their recently released album Mean Everything To Nothing, they played with the same intensity I remember from seeing them a couple years ago. Perhaps my favorite part of their hour+ set was the last song in the normal set, “Where Have You Been.” The ending of this slow-burner erupted into violent flames as Hull sang new lyrics and the entire band filled in with grandiose instrumental breakdowns.

With finals now behind us it’s time to start summer classes (insert sarcastic “yay!”). But that doesn’t mean we’re stopping. This week we’re going to 3 concerts in 3 days, and we’ll have daily posts with photos and reviews. Tomorrow is Manchester Orchestra at the Marquis, Wednesday is Young Coyotes at Rhinoceropolis, and Thursday is Trace Bundy and Andrea Ball at Everyday Joe’s in Fort Collins. We also have a new video interview from The Silent Years that should be ready in the next couple of days. Also in the works: New album reviews from Paper Bird and Dualistics. We should also be hearing back from the Mile High Music Fest. people about our press access here soon.

Finally, we’ve decided that it would be awesome to put together a compilation of Denver-based music acts. It would be available for free via this blog and will achieve 3 goals.

1. Promote the featured bands: If you want to get your music to smart, sexy people who have great taste, there’s no better group than our readers.

2. Promote Denver: The Mile High City is pretty great, and the talent doesn’t end with the Fray, we’ve got lots of great musicians to showcase.

3. Promote our blog: by organizing such an ambitious experiment we hope to grow our readership and continue to bring you the best of Denver music.

Any parties interested in taking part in our experiment need only comment below.

In recent years, the music scene in Denver has grown and transformed. As the Mile High City continues to play host to world-famous musicians, the homegrown music scene continues to burst at the seams. Specifically, the hardcore scene in Denver has seen quite a bit of excitement in the last few years. In summer 2007, when longtime Denver hardcore group Vaux decided to call it quits, things were looking fairly grim. However, as I witnessed Friday night, the Denver hardcore scene is alive and kicking (and punching).

Fear Before, formerly known as Fear Before the March of Flames, was in town, playing at the Marquis Theater in LoDo. This show was significant in that it celebrated the release of the group’s new self-titled album.

The atmosphere at the Marquis that night was rather jovial and mischievous. Zombies, pirates and ghouls came out in addition to the hardcore scenesters. The emcee for the night was Maris the Great, a guy who dresses up like a zombie king and makes appearances at Denver area punk shows. The first couple of bands, In Separate Cities and Set Fire To Athens, got the crowd moving and kept things at a reasonable pace.

Up next was the band High Five. This hardcore group played their set while dressed up like cops (similar to what you’d see on Reno 911 or Super Troopers). Although I did not find their music very enthralling, I was entertained by the large group of hardcore dancers that took over the main floor of the venue. “Tear this place apart!” yelled High Five’s lead singer as they started their set. Flying fists, scissor kicks, flailing arms and various kinds of flips came from the crowd as heavy beats filled the venue.

After High Five came a slight change of genre. The pop-punk band Animo played through their set, which was a nice changeup. Their lyrics were actually discernable and their melodies were catchy. At one point they even threw in a Misfits cover, and later did a sing-a-long.

Finally, it was time for the main act. Fear Before, for as long as I have been following them, has been on a constant journey with their sound. This show celebrated their new material, while paying homage to their older songs. With guitars blaring, lights flashing, and costumes in place, Fear Before played through an hour-long set. The best way to describe the set is to say that it began as a slow burner. The crowd, tired and battered from four previous bands, almost seemed ready to go home.

However, as Fear Before continued through the night, the energy and intensity in the venue rose, and then peaked toward the end of the set. They played through some of my personal favorite Fear Before songs, such as “Mouth,” “High As A Horse” and a new number, “Fear Before Doesn’t Listen To People Who Don’t Like Them.” In all, the concert was an exciting homecoming for one of Denver’s most innovative hardcore bands.